Details of Cars

Kia K8: the front-wheel-drive flagship saloon

KIA

Kia K8 GL3 in snow white pearl
Kia K8 (GL3) in Snow White Pearl. Photo by Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

The Kia K8 is an executive saloon that Kia has built since 2021, when it replaced the K7, known in some markets as the Cadenza. It was developed on the same N3 platform as the seventh-generation Hyundai Grandeur and is Kia’s largest front-wheel-drive car.

Kia K8 at a glance

Kia K8 key facts
Maker Kia
Production since April 2021
Internal code GL3
Replaced Kia K7/Cadenza
Platform N3, shared with the Hyundai Grandeur/Azera
Engines 2.5 four 198 PS, 3.5 V6 300 PS, 3.5 LPI 240 PS
Hybrid 1.6-litre turbo hybrid from May 2021
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Facelift August 2024

History of the Kia K8

Kia published pictures of the K8 on 17 February 2021 and put the car on sale in Korea in April 2021 with an online launch. Internally it is the GL3, and it succeeded the K7, which was sold as the Cadenza in several markets. It is mechanically identical to the seventh-generation Hyundai Grandeur, also called the Azera, which arrived a year later in autumn 2022, because both use Hyundai-Kia’s N3 mid-size platform.

Kia K8 GL3, rear view
Kia K8 from the rear. Photo by Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Equipment

The cabin is laid out around the driver, with a curved display and a 12-inch head-up display, updated infotainment and climate controls, interior lighting that works with the navigation system, an ergo-motion driver’s seat and a multi-function centre armrest and headrest. The hybrid version, released on 4 May 2021, added a 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid engine, 17-inch machined-face wheels, an electrified badge and a dedicated instrument cluster graphic.

Engines

The range starts with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine of 198 PS and continues with a 3.5-litre V6 of 300 PS; a 3.5-litre LPI engine running on liquid propane injection is also offered with 240 PS. All are paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, which Kia says improves the V6’s fuel economy by up to six per cent.

2024 facelift

A refreshed K8 was revealed in Korea on 9 August 2024. It has a redesigned front end with a wide LED light bar joining the headlights, a new dashboard with improved connectivity, and the same engines as before.

Design and features

  • Driver-centred cabin: curved display, 12-inch head-up display and lighting linked to navigation.
  • N3 platform: shared with the Hyundai Grandeur, with front-wheel drive.
  • Three engines plus a hybrid: 2.5 and 3.5 petrol, 3.5 LPI and a 1.6 turbo hybrid.
  • Eight-speed automatic: standard across the range.

Kia K8 versions

  • K8 2.5 (2021–): 198 PS four-cylinder, the base engine.
  • K8 3.5 V6 (2021–): 300 PS, the most powerful version.
  • K8 3.5 LPI (2021–): 240 PS on liquid propane, mainly for Korea.
  • K8 Hybrid (2021–): 1.6-litre turbo hybrid.
  • 2024 facelift: new front with an LED light bar and a new dashboard.

The K8 took over from the K7 and sits above the Optima/K5; its rear-driven stablemate is the GT Concept-inspired K9. More Kia models are in the Kia collection.

Sources

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